You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, so go downtown
Added 8/16/2009
In this magical feature film, artist extraordinaire Jean-Michel Basquiat is in full form, nineteen and almost ready to hear those post-graffiti fan screams. In one day, we see him leave a hospital having suffered some mysterious illness, get evicted from his run down East Village apartment, try to sell a painting, get paid for it by check, have his band's equipment stolen, chase down a beautiful model he had met, and live life to the fullest. For the artistically inclined, it is a wondrous sight to see Basquiat graffiti writing his poetic revelations on decrepit walls and in books. Little vignettes abound when Basquiat, bright eyed and bushy tailed, runs into his artist friends including Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quinones, and Debby Harry (of Blondie). The film is interspersed with performances by new wave artists including: Kid Creole and the Coconuts, The Plastics, James White and the Blacks, DNA, etc, punctuated with scenes of the rhythms and rap of hip hop. To say this film technically looks a little low budget would be an understatement. But that is where its charm lies. The simple hand held nature of the camera coincides with the innocence and exuberance of these artists before they are swept away into the artistic halls of stardom. Downtown 81 offers a fictionalized version of a day in the life of the young Jean-Michel, a day that included drawing, creating, laughing, and dancing. Although he died only seven years later, in this film, we are reminded of the pleasure he took with his friends in providing us the masterpieces he has left behind. -Danelle Augustin
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Downtown 81 Must See Art Movie
Added 3/14/2009
Downtown 81 is a must see for those who enjoy learning about art or just love Basquiat. It's less than 2 hours and is a little funky. If you don't like experimental art movies, you probably won't like it. Well done!
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Great footage of Basquiat
Added 2/16/2009
This film is raw. You get to peek back to the 1980s New York art scene and feel like you're walking down the streets and into the clubs with Basquiat. It's incredible to see the man behind the myth, even if it is just a snapshot. I had been disappointed by Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Basquiat in the 1996 film and was always curious to see some footage of the real Basquiat so watching this film was an incredible experience. Unfortuntely you don't get to see him paint. The film also feels unfinished, but I recall reading somewhere that they didn't get all of the footage they wanted. I loved the fairy tale mood they were going for, but it could have been more emphatic. They could have had Basquiat draw on the film reel to create cartoonish figures in the frames and they could have used more devices to create a parable. Debbie Harry pops up briefly in the film. Brilliant time capsule back to NYC with Basquiat.
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Eerily timeless & worth owning for Basquiat fans & early '80s scene
Added 5/25/2008
Initially dubious about this film, I read every Amazon review before purchasing and was pleased to find the quality and substance even better than I'd hoped. I love the movie "Basquiat" and now I'm amazed how well it portrayed the artist & his life, having now seen Downtown 81. Don't miss the Special Features, particularly the photo galleries; it was gratifying to learn than many of the talented people associated with the film have really made something of their lives. We can only wonder what more Basquiat would have achieved or how his art would have evolved if he were alive today. But at least we have his art of the '80s, and this film.
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This Is Not By Vincent Gallo
Added 11/4/2007
This is a very indie film. Left in someones basement or attic because they couldn't finish editing it at the time... it has been miraculously preserved and released. This is not eye opening cinema.It is jaw dropping footage of the lower east side and the village. You will not see it like that in New York now. The movie trails along behind basquiat in this fictional account of what it is to be on the everyday side of things for the artist and the art scene. Based on some real life; most aspects feel staged instead of actual accounts and it is a film not a documentary. Written by Glenn O'Brien.
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